U.S. airlines often change their baggage prices in waves, where one carrier’s price increase pushes others to do the same a few weeks later, in a kind of domino effect.
The last major change to the checked bag range occurred in December 2023, when Alaska Airlines raised the cost of the first checked bag from $30 to $35.
American Airlines followed shortly after. It set the price for travelers whose fare class or airline status doesn’t offer free checked baggage at $35 for the first bag (when checked prior to the flight), and $40 for the first bag if it’s checked after arrival at the airport.
Prior to that, prices across airlines largely stayed unchanged for four years, since American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines all raised the cost of the first checked bag from $25 to $30 in short succession.
Alaska says it “developed new policy to accommodate all surfers”
Announcements about baggage changes rarely offer good news, but Alaska Airlines just bucked that trend following its recent purchase of Hawaiian Airlines, tweaking its policy on transporting surfboards.
While travelers bringing these items used for riding the waves previously needed to check and pay for each board individually, they are now able to pack multiples in a single bag measuring no more than 10 feet, five inches. The total weight also cannot surpass 50 pounds.
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Those flying on the smaller Embraer E175 planes often used for shorter regional routes will need to stick to bags measuring no more than nine feet and seven inches.
“We developed our new policy to accommodate all surfers: thrill-seekers tracking large seasonal surf and bringing big surfboards on strike missions to places like Tahiti and Mexico, families looking for year-round warm water and gentle waves to longboard (Costa Rica, anyone?), or guests venturing into the far reaches of our network to explore coastlines in Australia, American Samoa, the Cook Islands, Japan, and New Zealand,” Alaska Airlines said in a press release on the change.
Its merger with Hawaiian Airlines, initiated in 2023 and completed last October in a deal worth $1.9 billion, was part of the Seattle-based airline’s efforts to combine into a single brand serving non-mainland U.S. states and expand its network and recognition beyond Alaska.
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Packing a surfboard? See details about the new Alaska and Hawaiian Airlines policy
Alaska Airlines is set to launch its first transatlantic flights to London and Reykjavik in 2026, and flights to Hawaii not previously offered by Alaska will continue to operate under the Hawaiian Airlines brand.
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As an additional step toward building out its brand as an airline serving sunny destinations, the airline will also treat bags containing surfboards as a regular checked bag.
Travelers who check it as their only piece of luggage will be able to pay $35, or even nothing at all, if their ticket includes baggage. Flyers should welcome this news, since oversized baggage fees are commonly required for sports equipment.
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